The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture have acquired The Mothership, an iconic stage prop used by George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic in their live shows. The ship, which has been donated by Clinton, is set to become part of a permanent music exhibition when the museum opens in Washington, D.C in 2015.

The Mothership that will be on display at the museum will not be the original prop, which debuted during the funk band's 1976 tour, but instead a 1,200-pound aluminum replica that was built in the mid-Nineties. The original ship was dumped off in a Maryland junkyard in 1982 by the group's management company when faced with enormous debts. Though the Smithsonian attempted to acquire the original, no trace could be found.